We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
3 Promising Earnings Acceleration Plays for Investors
Read MoreHide Full Article
Key Takeaways
CMI, ATKR and LEGH passed earnings acceleration screens from a 7,735-stock universe.
Cummins expects 21.7% earnings growth this year through its power solutions business.
Legacy Housing projects 33.3% earnings growth this year in manufactured homes.
Experienced investors often look for companies with consistent earnings growth as a marker of solid profitability. However, an even more compelling indicator is earnings acceleration, which can be a key driver for stock price gains. Studies have found that many top-performing stocks exhibit earnings acceleration before their share prices start to move northward.
Earnings acceleration refers to the incremental growth in a company’s earnings per share (EPS). Put simply, if a company’s quarter-over-quarter earnings growth rate increases over a given period, it can be called earnings acceleration.
In the case of earnings growth, you pay for something that is already reflected in the stock price. However, earnings acceleration helps identify stocks that haven’t yet caught investors’ attention and, once secured, will invariably lead to a rally in share price. This is because earnings acceleration considers both the direction and magnitude of growth rates.
An increasing percentage of earnings growth means that the company is fundamentally sound and has been on the right track for a considerable period. Meanwhile, a sideways percentage of earnings growth indicates a period of consolidation or slowdown, while a decelerating percentage of earnings growth may drag prices down.
Find Winning Stocks Faster With Research Wizard
Look at stocks for which the last two quarter-over-quarter percentage EPS growth rates exceed the previous periods’ growth rates. The projected EPS growth rate for the upcoming quarter is expected to exceed that of prior periods.
EPS % Projected Growth (Q1)/(Q0) greater than EPS % Growth (Q0)/(Q-1): The projected growth rate for the current quarter (Q1) over the completed quarter (Q0) has to be greater than the growth rate from the completed quarter (Q0) over one quarter ago (Q-1).
EPS % Growth (Q0)/(Q-1) greater than EPS % Growth (Q-1)/(Q-2): The growth rate for the completed quarter (Q0) over one quarter ago (Q-1) has to be greater than the growth rate from one quarter ago (Q-1) over two quarters ago (Q-2).
EPS % Growth (Q-1)/(Q-2) greater than EPS % Growth (Q-2)/(Q-3): The growth rate from one quarter ago (Q-1) over two quarters ago (Q-2) has to be greater than the growth rate from two quarters ago (Q-2) over three quarters ago (Q-3).
In addition to this, we have added the following parameters:
Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This screens out low-priced stocks.
Average 20-day volume greater than or equal to 50,000: High trading volume implies that the stocks have adequate liquidity.
The above criteria narrowed the universe of around 7,735 stocks to only three. Here are the stocks:
Cummins
Cummins provides global power solutions through five segments: Engine, Distribution, Components, Power Systems and Accelera. Cummins has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). CMI’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 21.7%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Atkore
Atkore manufactures and sells electrical, mechanical, safety and infrastructure solutions globally. Atkore has a Zacks Rank #2. ATKR’s expected earnings growth rate for the next year is 12.2%.
Legacy Housing
Legacy Housing builds, sells and finances manufactured and tiny homes, mainly in the southern United States. Legacy Housing has a Zacks Rank #2. LEGH’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 33.3%.
Zacks' 7 Best Strong Buy Stocks (New Research Report)
Valued at $99, click below to receive our just-released report
predicting the 7 stocks that will soar highest in the coming month.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
3 Promising Earnings Acceleration Plays for Investors
Key Takeaways
Experienced investors often look for companies with consistent earnings growth as a marker of solid profitability. However, an even more compelling indicator is earnings acceleration, which can be a key driver for stock price gains. Studies have found that many top-performing stocks exhibit earnings acceleration before their share prices start to move northward.
To that end, Cummins Inc. (CMI - Free Report) , Atkore Inc. (ATKR - Free Report) and Legacy Housing Corporation (LEGH - Free Report) are showing strong earnings acceleration.
Earnings Acceleration: What Investors Should Know
Earnings acceleration refers to the incremental growth in a company’s earnings per share (EPS). Put simply, if a company’s quarter-over-quarter earnings growth rate increases over a given period, it can be called earnings acceleration.
In the case of earnings growth, you pay for something that is already reflected in the stock price. However, earnings acceleration helps identify stocks that haven’t yet caught investors’ attention and, once secured, will invariably lead to a rally in share price. This is because earnings acceleration considers both the direction and magnitude of growth rates.
An increasing percentage of earnings growth means that the company is fundamentally sound and has been on the right track for a considerable period. Meanwhile, a sideways percentage of earnings growth indicates a period of consolidation or slowdown, while a decelerating percentage of earnings growth may drag prices down.
Find Winning Stocks Faster With Research Wizard
Look at stocks for which the last two quarter-over-quarter percentage EPS growth rates exceed the previous periods’ growth rates. The projected EPS growth rate for the upcoming quarter is expected to exceed that of prior periods.
EPS % Projected Growth (Q1)/(Q0) greater than EPS % Growth (Q0)/(Q-1): The projected growth rate for the current quarter (Q1) over the completed quarter (Q0) has to be greater than the growth rate from the completed quarter (Q0) over one quarter ago (Q-1).
EPS % Growth (Q0)/(Q-1) greater than EPS % Growth (Q-1)/(Q-2): The growth rate for the completed quarter (Q0) over one quarter ago (Q-1) has to be greater than the growth rate from one quarter ago (Q-1) over two quarters ago (Q-2).
EPS % Growth (Q-1)/(Q-2) greater than EPS % Growth (Q-2)/(Q-3): The growth rate from one quarter ago (Q-1) over two quarters ago (Q-2) has to be greater than the growth rate from two quarters ago (Q-2) over three quarters ago (Q-3).
In addition to this, we have added the following parameters:
Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This screens out low-priced stocks.
Average 20-day volume greater than or equal to 50,000: High trading volume implies that the stocks have adequate liquidity.
The above criteria narrowed the universe of around 7,735 stocks to only three. Here are the stocks:
Cummins
Cummins provides global power solutions through five segments: Engine, Distribution, Components, Power Systems and Accelera. Cummins has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). CMI’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 21.7%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Atkore
Atkore manufactures and sells electrical, mechanical, safety and infrastructure solutions globally. Atkore has a Zacks Rank #2. ATKR’s expected earnings growth rate for the next year is 12.2%.
Legacy Housing
Legacy Housing builds, sells and finances manufactured and tiny homes, mainly in the southern United States. Legacy Housing has a Zacks Rank #2. LEGH’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 33.3%.